MOMMA BEAR

When Colin was about 8 years of age, he attended a midstream school here in Calgary.  It was a special education class, but in a "regular" school in the Separate School System.  (A Catholic based school).

Now Colin was a handful  -  very active and very unpredictable.  He was incontinent.  For all the time that he had been in Special Ed classes; we had been blessed with angels for teachers.  It truly was wonderful.  I cannot imagine working with a classroom of these children, but these women were wonderful and so were the assistants. 

I knew that he could be very disruptive and throw tantrums and have melt-downs.  Very difficult to handle.  But he could melt your heart and resolve in a second with his huge smile.  I still don't know what we could have done differently so that he might have been easier to be with.  Oh but the guilt!!!

If you ever have watched the movie "Rainman"  -  the scene where "Rainman" has a meltdown in the airport just before boarding the plane....  THAT is what Colin was capable of doing as a child....several times in a day;  and he can still do that today (but not several times in a day).

When he was 8, we ran into "the bad one"  -  we were bound to find one teacher who just did not get it.  I was in the habit of talking with the teacher almost on a daily basis....  it was the Momma Bear in me.  This teacher started to share with me that she found it "funny" how easy it was to "taunt him",  -  REALLY??  Seriously???  

I listened very carefully after that because I did not want to jump to conclusions.  Shortly following this conversation, she pointed out that she was going to spank him "if he did not shape up".  I quickly took that up with the principal....  same story!!!  All right then, you have messed with the wrong Momma Bear.

I started to call every single School Board Member at the Calgary Catholic School Board and every single one of them gave me their mailing addresses.  

Every School Board Member received a letter.

Every School Board Member received a phone call from me to confirm that they had received my letter.

Within a couple of weeks - maybe a month, that teacher was terminated.

I share this because this is part of what having Colin did for me.  It made me reach down and become who I did not know I could be.  He made me grow up.


I was terrified of calling those board members, but I was determined to make some changes for my son.  How dare you believe that it would be ok to use a spanking to change this child's behavior.  For those of you who have special needs children, rise up and fight for what your heart is telling you.  Each of us has leadership skills and we can do what is the best for our children.  We as parents KNOW.  Sometimes, we simply need to use our grief and our anger and harness them in a positive direction.


Our special needs children need to be in society to learn how to survive and lead happy independent lives.  They need to be in a supportive, loving environment in order to achieve this.


We need to be the best advocates ever for our children.  With God on our side (and He always is) we can be AMAZING advocates!!!


Don't give up.  Don't give up the fight.  And Bless all the teachers out there who get it!!!